


Meddling from the Afterlife

by EmeraldHeiress



Series: How Dangerous (A Mask Can Be) [22]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days
Genre: Angst, Christmas Eve, Drinking, Ficlet, Gen, Ghosts, Ghosts of Christmas, Humor, References to A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens, References to Canonical Character Death, christmas carol au, holiday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28303044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldHeiress/pseuds/EmeraldHeiress
Summary: “Jason.” Bruce groaned.The ghost wriggled his fingers as he began to fade, “Expect the first ghost as the bell tolls one!”
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: How Dangerous (A Mask Can Be) [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932781
Comments: 8
Kudos: 120





	Meddling from the Afterlife

**“Hey, B.”  
**

Bruce dropped his brandy snifter. The sound of shattering glass rang through the room. The sharp scent of alcohol bit at his senses. 

“ _Jay?_ ” He breathed, staring at the apparition before him.

That wry grin pulled ghostly lips. “Yeah, B. It’s me.”

“ _But you’re alive!_ ” Bruce rubbed his face. He didn’t think he was that tired - that exhausted - to be hallucinating. Did he get hit with something.

“You’re not hallucinating and you didn’t get blasted with toxin or poison.” The fifteen-year-old’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

“Then how did you know what I was thinking?”

“Cause I know you. And before you start thinking it, I’m real. Both _big_ me and _me_ me.” He added, gesturing to himself. The Robin red of his suit dulled only by the translucence of his overall appearance.

“You can’t be.” Voice firm, Bruce straightened. This couldn’t be real. If Jay was real then Jason… then Red Hood wasn’t. If Red Hood was real then this Jason couldn’t be -

“ _Stop that!_ ” Bruce jumped as little Jay was suddenly in his face, scowling. “ _I’m_ Jason! _He’s_ Jason! It’s not a difficult concept. _Get over it!_ ”

“ _How?_ ” The man croaked.

“Better.” 

The… was he a ghost?… settled back, still floating in air, and crossed his legs. Bruce had a vague flash of that animated movie. Something Disney maybe? Peter Pan doing the same thing.

“Some kind of weird time bullshit. I don’t know and I didn’t really ask. _Time is relative_ , yada yada, _afterlife is fluid_ , blah blah blah. _Whatever_. I was just sent with a message.”

“A message?” Bruce firmly pushed the implications of the rest of that out of his mind for now. He’d examine it later.

“Yeah.” Jay’s face dropped and he frowned, “I don’t know what the hell you did, Bossman, but you’re getting the Scrooge treatment.”

“The what?” 

The boy squinted at him, incredulous, “I know you weren’t this dumb when I was alive. Someone hit you in the head too many times? _The Scrooge treatment_.” He emphasized. “We read it together my first Christmas at the Manor. _A Christmas Carol_? Charles Dickens? _You will be haunted by three spirits_ and all that jazz?”

“I get it.” Bruce nodded and waved a hand.

“Well, you pissed someone up here off, they won’t tell me what you did for some reason, and now it’s _your_ turn. Apparently, the novel was based on a true story.” Jason tilted his head, like he was listening to something. Deep in the Manor a clock tolled midnight.

“That’s my time I’m afraid.” He sighed, “Anyway. Three spirits. Christmas Past, Present and Future. Don’t be an ass and embarrass me, please. I have to live with these guys.” He smirked. “ _So to speak._ ”

“ _Jason_.” Bruce groaned. 

The ghost wriggled his fingers as he began to fade, “ _Expect the first ghost as the bell tolls one!_ ”

The man watched as the figure of his once-dead son slowly faded from view. The shadow of that bright Jaylad smile etched into his memory forever.

He looked down at the glass shattered all over the floor.

No more drinking before bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this last year for a request. It was meant to be a chapter for each ghost and a final conclusion. I don't know if I'll ever complete it.


End file.
